From Publishers Weekly
Stacy, 17, awakens from the coma she's been in for four years, following a gunshot wound, and finds her world is drastically altered. The shooting incident that injured her also killed her mother. Her older sister is married and pregnant. Hairstyles, clothing and friends have changed. Stacy, if her memory returns, can put the man who shot her and murdered her mother behind bars. Soon every face she sees looks both familiar and strange, and the attention of a boy named Jeff is welcomed and feared. Because of press reports, the murderer knows that Stacy can find him. She's afraid she's being watched. And when her memory and the truth about the killer come back to her, Stacy faces the darker side of herself. The compelling premise of Stacy's lost years and Nixon's mastery of suspense are gripping. But readers want to know more about Stacy's adjustment; there is no real period of mourning for her mother, and the ending leaves unresolved issues.
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From School Library Journal
Gr 8 Up-When 17-year-old Stacy McAdams wakes from The Other Side of Dark (BDD, 1987), she learns that she has been in a semicomatose state for the past four years, and that the gunman who caused her injury also murdered her mother. Though Stacy can remember some details of the shooting, she can't identify her attacker. Her father and older sister, Donna, are supportive, but Stacy experiences a deep desire for revenge as she tries to recall the murderer's face. At the same time, she is adjusting to being a high school junior. Fortunately, she gets help from her best friend, Jan; an understanding homicide detective; and Jeff Clinton, a new boy in town. Fearful and unable to get in touch with her grief, Stacy even begins to worry that Jeff is involved in the case. In the end, she finds the courage and maturity to catch the criminal and move on with her life. Joan Lowry Nixon provides plenty of suspects and suspenseful moments, as well as useful information on police procedures. Stacy's rapid recovery may stretch credulity, but her emotional ups and downs are very believable. Narrator Christina Moore convincingly conveys the teen's inner turmoil, and she gives realistic voice to a large cast of characters. Mystery-loving teens will enjoy the twists in this plot, and even though there is a party where alcohol and drugs are present, this recording is suitable for mature middle school students.-Barbara Wysocki, Cora J. Belden Library, Rocky Hill, CT
Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
